The Iowa Department of Education announced it was awarded over $276,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to expand its Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion efforts during the summer months.
āWe are grateful for this federal investment to expand the Departmentās critical work supporting students and families across Iowa in completing the FAFSA and overcoming the challenges they faced throughout this application cycle,ā said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. āAlongside schools, postsecondary institutions, and community partners, we will continue to champion students pursuing their unique pathways to postsecondary success.ā
The FAFSA is the primary application for students to be considered for federal and state need-based grants and scholarships, work-study opportunities and federal student loans.
The U.S. Department of Education launched the redesigned 2024-25 FAFSA last December, much later than the expected date of Oct. 1. Since its late launch, the online application has had significant errors and processing delays. Although the redesign was intended to simplify the application process, as a result of these issues, many students in Iowa and across the country have struggled completing and submitting the FAFSA.
To help more students, the Departmentās Bureau of Iowa College Aid is using these Federal Student Support Strategy funds to bolster existing FAFSA completion capacity through the expansion of the Summer Transition Associate program. The funds will also support partnerships with college and career transition counselors and nonprofit community organizations in providing direct support and promoting the importance of FAFSA completion.
Awardees were selected based on their ability and experience supporting students and families with completing the new federal financial aid application and helping them understand the new requirements and eligibility criteria. The goal of the program is to increase the number of students who complete a 2024-25 FAFSA and enroll in college, particularly for first-time students.
Through the grant, the Bureau of Iowa College Aid increased the number of summer transition associate staff by 50 percent, with 21 associates, including bilingual associates, working in communities across the state. The Summer Transition Program, which uses high school counselors to assist students, families and communities with the college-going process during the summer months, has expanded to focus on FAFSA outreach and completion efforts.
"We were proud to provide additional summer support to Iowa's Class of 2024 with the critical step of completing their FAFSA and continuing their postsecondary pursuits," said Iowa College Aid Bureau Chief David Ford. "The 2024-25 FAFSA cycle has been a challenge for many, and this assistance will support local efforts and completion opportunities across Iowa."
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Educational Credit Management Corporationās (ECMC) FAFSA Student Support Strategy, the government and community agencies selected for these competitive grants had to demonstrate expertise and experience supporting local FAFSA completion efforts.
Additional information on the Summer Transition Associate program can be found on the Department's website.